The active entertainment component within shopping malls in Romania was valued at €28-30 million in 2024, excluding competitive socialising venues such as bowling and billiards, which are also growing rapidly. This represents almost three times the market size compared to 2019, finds a study by Nhood Romnaia.
The review has been conducted across 60 shopping centres with a cumulative gross leasable area of over 2.7 million sqm, the study maps 116 distinct entertainment formats operated by 54 providers. It highlights a rapidly expanding sector marked by diversification, professionalisation, and increasing sophistication. The research focuses specifically on documenting active entertainment formats and models.
"The entertainment sector within shopping malls is enjoying rapid growth, fundamentally redefining the relevance of a commercial centre. However, the market lacked concrete data to guide industry players in their investment decisions or development strategies," stated Bogdan Aldea, Head of Business Development at Nhood Romania. "We are no longer talking about a complementary service, but an engine of the overall experience - a differentiator in attracting visitors and transforming malls into leisure destinations."
Currently, 95% of the analysed malls integrate at least one active entertainment component. Romania is positioning itself ahead of some mature European markets: only 5% of local malls do not offer active entertainment options, compared to 40-55% of centres in Austria, Germany, or Italy. Shopping centres remain the preferred destinations for shopping and leisure for Romanians, and by developing a coherent entertainment ecosystem, Romania has the opportunity to become a European benchmark for transforming commercial centres into complete leisure destinations.
